Sony released two new digital cameras at CES today: the sleek, six-megapixel Cyber-shot S600 and the hybrid Cyber-shot DSC-M2, which takes five-megapixel digital stills and shoots high-quality digital video.

The $200 Cyber-shot S600 is one of Sony more affordable cameras, but it offers a wide range of features. For starters, it comes with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens with a 3x optical wide-angle (31  93 mm) zoom that is unusual with this class of camera. The camera comes with a two-inch LCD and 32MB of internal memory. You can add memory using Memory Stick Duo media card or Memory Stick PRO Duo cards, which must be purchased separately. The DSC-S600 can also capture 640x480 MPEG video at 30 frames per second.

The light sensitivity of the S600 sensor goes as high as IS0 1000, which is great for low-light situations. Sony claims that this added sensitivity to light increases the effective range of camera's flash to 33 feet. Sony's multi-pattern measuring function gauges incoming light by examining 49 points across the frame.

Sony claims the camera can take as many as up 460 shots per charge using rechargeable NiMH batteries. It ships with two AA alkaline batteries, a USB cable, a wrist strap, and CD-ROM software.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2Sony hopes that its new hybrid video/still camera, the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-M2, will appeal to consumers that want to shoot digital still and digital video with the same device. The $500 DSC-M2 moves seamlessly between video and digital still shooting. The camera comes with a 5.1-megapixel resolution Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar lens, Sony's Real Imaging Processor circuitry, and a 2.5-inch LCD screen

Cyber-shot DSC-M2 stores video as 640x480 MPEG files at 30 frames per second. The model's sensor has been optimized with a high refresh rate, doubling the horizontal resolution.

The camera's MPEG4 compression captures high-quality video in less space than cameras that employ MPEG1. You can record high-resolution still images and video clips without a large-capacity media card. With a 2GB Memory Stick PRO Duo media card, which must be purchased separately, you can record as much as 1-1/2 hours of continuous video. The camera also supports stereo audio recording.

The camera connects to your PC, TV, or printer using the supplied a Cyber-shot Station cradle, which also serves as a charger. The package also includes an InfoLITHIUM battery; AC adapter; AV/USB cables, PicturePackage v. 1.2.1, and Nero Vision Express 3 software, for editing and burning movies.

The Cyber-shot S600 is available today at SonyStyle.com and at Sony retail stores. The Cyber-shot DSC-M2 will be available later this month. Pre-orders begin today.

About the Author

Dan Costa is the Editor-in-Chief of PCMag.com and the Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff-Davis. He oversees the editorial operations for PCMag.com, Geek.com, ExtremeTech.com as well as PCMag's network of blogs, including AppScout and SecurityWatch. Dan makes frequent appearances on local, national, and international news programs, including ... See Full Bio

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